Magnetic Holdbacks on Exterior Doors

[swiftk77]

Hi everyone - We just returned from our first long trip (2 weeks) with our Gateway 3650BH and overall it held up great. We spent two weeks around Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and highly recommend you make it there if you haven't been to our Nation's first National Park. One thing that bothered me throughout the trip was the basement exterior doors were always being caught by the wind and then my wife reminded me that we are supposed to have Magnetic Holdbacks according to the "Enter the Gateway" package. Ours is a 2014 model, so I don't know if this was only added in 2015, but I thought I would check with other Gateway owners and see if maybe that just didn't make it on our unit.

Thanks - Ken

 

[Turtlpwr]

Hi Ken - I also have the same model and year. I remember hearing in the Gateway product demo that the exterior doors had magnetic holders but my unit doesn't have them either. My exterior doors swing right to left and the ones demonstrated in the video with magnetic holders swing bottom to top. I can only assume that is why we don't have the magnetic holders. I've caught myself a few times with them open and they sure do catch the wind. I've just learned to always close them after I'm done. I'm embarking on my first extended trip with the 3650BH to San Diego tomorrow.

Happy camping!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[OhShoot]

I have the Gateway 3500RL and it has the magnetic latches it's a 2014

 

[OnTheLoose]

Hi Ken,
I have a 2014 Gateway 3200RS. The exterior door on the door side of the camper opens vertically and has the magnetic catch. The one on the off-door side opens right to left and there is no catch in the open position. With any wind at all you cannot leave it open.

I believe you have the residential refrigerator. If so, how did your inverter perform on the trip?

Thanks
Don

 

[danemayer]

If you want to keep your left-to-right door open, one of these will do it.

 

[cookie]

I prefer THIS STYLE.

Peace
Dave

 

[GWRam]

Ken,
We have a 2014 Gateway 3650BH made in september 2013. No latches or holdbacks on anything other than main entry door. Have had some windy days where its hard to get something out of the basement using two hands while the hatch door is beating against you and the side of your camper.
Dave

 

[boatto5er]

Ken,
We have a 2014 Gateway 3650BH made in september 2013. No latches or holdbacks on anything other than main entry door. Have had some windy days where its hard to get something out of the basement using two hands while the hatch door is beating against you and the side of your camper.
Dave

My Landmark has the side swing door on one side. I installed one of the latches like those used on the main entry door to hold it open. Works great and keeps the wind from banging your cargo door around.

 

[jbeletti]

What I am hearing here is the baggage doors that open horizontally (side to side) - have no catches. This is also my experience on every Landmark I have had with baggage doors like that - no catches.

Regarding the magnetic catches, Bernie (happykraut) and I have both toyed with the idea of installing the magnetic catches on the off-door-side baggage door that opens horizontally. The problem is that the door does not lie flat against the coach when fully opened. As such, it is difficult to find a location on the door and on the coach to mount the magnets where they will mate up and actually work.

Bernie used some scrap plastic as a buildup piece and glued it onto one half of the magnet section, then tapered it with a belt sander. That got him close, but the buildup wasn't as tall as he'd like.

This all said, the latches that Dan and Dave (cookie) have posted are better candidates for holding the door open.

Be careful mounting screws into the baggage door though. Unless you go all the way through and have a backer plate on the inside - I'm not sure how long the screws would hold.

 

[boatto5er]

What I am hearing here is the baggage doors that open horizontally (side to side) - have no catches. This is also my experience on every Landmark I have had with baggage doors like that - no catches.

Regarding the magnetic catches, Bernie (happykraut) and I have both toyed with the idea of installing the magnetic catches on the off-door-side baggage door that opens horizontally. The problem is that the door does not lie flat against the coach when fully opened. As such, it is difficult to find a location on the door and on the coach to mount the magnets where they will mate up and actually work.

Bernie used some scrap plastic as a buildup piece and glued it onto one half of the magnet section, then tapered it with a belt sander. That got him close, but the buildup wasn't as tall as he'd like.

This all said, the latches that Dan and Dave (cookie) have posted are better candidates for holding the door open.

Be careful mounting screws into the baggage door though. Unless you go all the way through and have a backer plate on the inside - I'm not sure how long the screws would hold.

I used the one in Cookie's post. Works great. Pictures of mine installed are here: https://heartlandowners.org/showthread.php/24395-Baggage-Door-quot-Hold-Open-quot-Latch?highlight=

 

[pegmikef]

I used the one in Cookie's post. Works great. Pictures of mine installed are here: //heartlandowners.org/showthread.php/24395-Baggage-Door-quot-Hold-Open-quot-Latch?highlight=

I did the same thing John did as shown in the above link. I just changed the spacing a little so the door is closer to the wall. Bought the part at one of our local RV dealers for a couple of bucks.